Acer tutcheri Seeds | Tutcher’s Maple
LATIN NAME: Acer tutcheri
COMMON NAME: Tutcher’s Maple
Plant Profile
Tutcher’s maple is a small Chinese maple with three-lobed leaves and scarlet autumn colour, named after a Hong Kong botanist. It grows in the mountains of southern China, in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang, in evergreen and mixed forest between about 400 and 1,200 metres, on acid soils in valleys and on shaded slopes. The tree reaches five to ten metres, with a slender trunk and a rounded crown, and its leaves are triangular to ovate, with three shallow lobes and a serrated margin. In autumn the foliage turns a strong red that lasts for several weeks, and the small winged seeds hang in pairs below the leaves. It was described in 1908 and named for William Tutcher, who collected plants in Hong Kong and southern China and wrote the first flora of the territory. It is one of the maples that grows well in warm temperate climates, where most of the showier species sulk.
Science & Biotechnology
Acer tutcheri belongs to the soapberry family in the modern classification, and it sits in a group of Asian maples with three-lobed or unlobed leaves, which is one of the reasons the genus is so hard to identify from foliage alone. The species is diploid and wind-pollinated, and its samaras are adapted to spin away from the parent, a dispersal method that lets a maple colonise gaps in the forest. The red autumn colour comes from anthocyanins that are produced as the chlorophyll breaks down, and the intensity depends on cool nights and bright days, which is why the tree colours best in a continental climate. It is shade tolerant as a seedling and can regenerate under a canopy, but it needs light to reach flowering size. Wild populations are scattered and the species is not common anywhere, though it is not considered threatened. It hybridises with related maples in cultivation, and garden plants are sometimes of mixed origin.
Uses & Benefits
The tree is grown as an ornamental for its autumn colour and its modest size, and it is one of the better maples for a small garden in a warm climate, where the Japanese species are difficult. It is also used in bonsai, since it responds well to root restriction and to pruning. The wood is hard and pale and is used for small turnery and for tool handles, though the tree is too small to be a timber species. In China it is planted in parks and along streets, and it is used in the reforestation of degraded hill land. In a garden it needs acid soil, shelter from wind and some shade from the hottest sun, and it is worth planting where its autumn colour can be seen against an evergreen background. It is not a tree for a dry, alkaline site or for a windy exposed position.
Growing from Seed
Sow the samaras in autumn, fresh, in a pot of loam and leafmould, and leave them outside through winter; the seed needs cold and germination is in spring. Sow two centimetres deep and keep the pot shaded and moist. Grow the seedling in a shaded frame for its first year, then pot it on and plant out in autumn. Choose a site with acid, moist but drained soil, in light shade or with shelter from midday sun, and water through the first two summers. Mulch with leafmould, keeping it clear of the trunk. The tree is hardy to about minus fifteen but late frost can damage young growth, so avoid a frost pocket. Prune only to remove crossing branches and to establish a leader, in winter.
Our Take
A small Chinese maple with scarlet autumn colour that tolerates warmth better than most. Acid soil and a sheltered spot.
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